Fire control mechanism for guns



Oct. 5, 1948. J. HARRINGTON, JR 2,450,551

FIRE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR GUNS Filed July 18, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .Zwe n10? ((41 4 .1

OGQ /L Harv-i713 i'on 1: p o H 5 lfitorn j Oct. 5, 1948. HARRINGTON, JR 2,450,551

. FIRE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR GUNS Filed July 18, 1944 3 sheets-she t 2 Ewen to r Jbaeph Harrington r777 By 71219.1 iiprne:

Oct. 5, 1948. J. HARRINGTON, JR v 2,450,551

FIRE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR GUNS Filed July 18, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 as Q M l: T a 6 z 4 79 0 -'f""'" i, .22

J 6 4 v 46 i i f 4M 49 44 I 100 11.2 6 30 as 2 Inventor JosephHarrin gtonJr lzyhzsfli torne y l otohcoolctfii is,

itts er seine man connect mean can eons Joseph Harrington, lira, Wenham,

s., assignor to United Shoe Machineryflorporation, Flemington, N. 5., a corporation of New Jersey Application duly 18, 1944, Serial No. 545,465

for guns. As illustrated herein the invention is applied to a gun mounted on the deck of a ship although it should be understood that it is not thus limited in its application.

Guns are frequently mounted onships and other structures having objects that are located in the line of fire when the gun is in certain positions of its range of movement in elevation and in azimuth. In order to prevent accidental firing of the gun at such objects it has been the practice to associate with the gun mount a structure that limits the range of movement of the gun so that it cannot be aimed at such objects. This arrangement interferes with rapid aiming of the tions further reducing the amount of light reachgun at the target and is not easily adapted to changing conditions or locations of objects in the line of fire.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved mechanism for controlling the fire of a gun so that, without-interfering with the -movements of the gun, the firing mechanism is prevented from operating when the gun is in certain predetermined positions thereby to prevent damage to objects adjacent to the gun mount that lie within the line of fire of the gun. To this end and in accordance with a feature of the invention, photoelectrically controlled mech anism is provided to prevent actuation of the firing mechanism in response to movements of the gun into certain. predetermined positions. This is accomplished in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the invention by providing a transparent cylindrical screen having darkened areas thereon corresponding to certain positions of the gun. 'I'he screen is located between a photoelectric cell and a light source and relative movements between the photoelectric cell, the

' light source and the screen take place as the gun is moved in elevation and azimuth sothat when the gun is pointed at some object which it is desired to guardagainst shooting, the amount of light reaching the photoelectric cell from the light source is decreased suiilcientlv to actuate mechanism which prevents firing oi the gun.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for preventing movement of the gun into actual engagement with objects which may be located adjacent to the gun mount in the range of movement of the gun. This is acccm plished in accordance with a further feature of the invention by utilizing the same photoelectric cell and screen arrangement and providing additional darkened portions on the screen corre a on. (on. tie-# 34) sponding to the location of the object or objects adjacent to the gun, these latter darkened poring the photoelectric cell after the gun has moved into-certain positions thereby actuating a mechanism which locks the gun against movement into engagement with the object.

The above and other features of the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in. the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is aview of a ship showing gun mounted thereon in such position that portions of the superstructure lie within the range of fire of the gun; a

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gun and a per--- tion of the control mechanism;

Fig.3 is a vertical section through the gun and the control mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a plan view, certain parts being broken away, illustrating the arrangement of the screen, the photoelectric cell and the light source;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the control apparatus, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through one of the gun trunnions showing the mechanism for lock-- ing the gun against downward movement.

The invention is herein illustrated as asso ciated with a gun G (Fig. I) mounted onthe deck .of a ship S in such position; that certain portions of the superstructure of the ship such as a deck house H, a mast M and wires W lie within the line of fire of the gun in certain of its positions. A ventilator V is illustrated in such proximity to the gun as to be within its range of movement. I

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the gun is supported on a shaft it for movements in elevation, the shaftbeing carried by vertical arms 82 of a carriage form of gun mount, in accordance tl'ie reent encept for certain shaded areas thereon as shown in Fig. 8 and has secured to its ends ring= shaped gears Bil. These gears are supported by inwardly extending nanges 32 on rings 34% carried icy-walls 38 extending upwardly from a bottom wall 38 of the base 18. The photoelectric cell 2i in a housing 35 is located within the cylindrical screen 28 and is supported on a carriage 27! guided for movement lengthwise of the screen by tracks 40 secured to the walls 36 and passing through the screen. Through the carriage on which the photoelectric cell is mounted is threaded a screw 32 journaled in bearings carried by the walls 38 and having a projecting end portion carrying a pinion 46 by which rotative movement is imparted to the screw and the photoelectric cell is moved lengthwise of the screen. The lamp 28 is similarly mounted on a pair of tracks 46 on the outside of the screen 28 opposite the photoelectric cell 26 and is moved lengthwise of the screen by a screw 48 journaled in bearings carried by the walls 86 and provided with a pinion 49 by which it is rotated to move the lamp along the screen. Springs 50 are associated with the left ends of each of the screws and act between collars 52 carried by the screws and the adjacent bearing thereby to hold the screws against end play.

The screws-are turned simultaneously in the same directions during movement of the gun in elevation so that the photoelectric cell and the lamp move in unison lengthwise of the screen 28 into alined positions corresponding to the position of the gun in elevation. For this purpose a cam 54 (Figs. 2 and 3) is carried by the gun for movement about the axis of the shaft Ill as the gun moves in elevation. This cam has a curved surface engaged by a cam roll 56 journaled in a vertically movable slide 58 which is in turn guided for movement by a track 60 formed in one of the arms I2 of the carriage l4. Secured to the lower.

' end of the slide 58 is a shaft 52 coamal with the vertical axis of the carriage l4 and passing down through the top wall of the base l6 into a gear housing formed by vertical walls 8 carried by the bottom wall 38 of the base. The shaft 82 is guided for vertical movement by a block 66 semeshes with a bevel gear 92 on the end of a shaft 96 iournaled in arms iiii secured to the upper portions of the rings 38. This shaft carries pinlons 98 which mesh with the ring gears 80 which carry I the screen 28. Consequently as the gun is moved ;-house'I-I, the relative movements between the h utilized to operate a relay which will open the screen 253 and the photoelectric cell and its light source will result in a portion of the area I00 intersecting the beam of light from the source to the photoelectric cell thereby reducing the light reaching the cell suiiiciently to operate mechanism which prevents firing of the gun. It should be understood of course that the light and dark portions of the -screen may be interchanged so that the mechanism to prevent firing of the gun is operated in response to an increase in the intensity of light reaching the photoelectric cell instead of by a decrease thereof, by the use of appropriate control circuits.

The mechanism to prevent firing of the gun is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 5 and includes a solenoid Hi2 connected to an amplifier Hill to which the photoelectric cell as is also connected. When the light reaching the photoelectrio cell is thus reduced, a sufiicient amount of current flows through the solenoid 502 to attract 'an armature iilli whereupon a wedge 18 con-- nected thereto moves into engagement with a trigger lie of the gun and prevents operation of the trigger to fire the gun. In those instances 'in which the gun is remotely controlled as by electrical means, the photoelectriccell may be firing circuit when the gun is aimed at a portion of the vessel by which it is carried and it will cured to one of the walls to. Movable vertically with this shaft is a rack 68 guided by the block 66 and a similar block 70 on the lower portion of the wall 64, the rack being maintained in engagement with the lower end of the shaft62 by a spring l2 (Fig. 2) secured between a pin M on the lower portion of therack and a pinlfi extending laterally .from the block 66. Engageable with the rack 68 is a pinion i8 journaled on a shaft 80 carried by the walls 54 of the gear housing. 'A gear 82 fast to the pinion l8 meshes with a small gear 84 (Fig. 2) on a shaft 86 journaled in the walls 54 and carrying on its outer end a, largegear 88 (Figs. 3 and 4) 'engageable with the pinions 44 and 69 on the screws 42 and 48. From the above it will be seen that as the gun is moved in elevation the cam 54 causes vertical movements of the racket which through the gearing described above causes rotation ofthe screws (i i, 48 whereupon the-photoelectric cell and the lamp move lengthwise of the screen 28 in unison.

The screen 28 is turned with respect to the phobe understood that the mechanical means shown herein for preventing firing of the gun is for purposes of illustration only.

It may happen that the gun is so mounted on the vessel that if it is turned sufliciently in certain positions of the gun in elevation, objects on the vessel might be hit by the gun tube and in Fig. 1

a ventilator V is illustrated as being located in toelectric cell and the lamp upon movement of the gun in azimuth. For this purpose, to the being operated by such proximity to the gun that this might happen, Accordingly, the screen 28 and the photoelectric cell are further utilized to apply a braking action to the gun preventing its movement into engage ment with any existing obstructions. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the screen 28 in addition to the lightly shaded area lllil includes a densely shaded area 2 which corresponds to theventilator V. Just prior to engagement of the gun with the ventilator the densely shaded portion H2 of the screen intersects the beam of light from the lamp 26 to the photoelectric .cell 24 and actuates the braking means. This means is shown to comprise a pair of brakes one of. which locks the gun against movement in azimuth and the other 01" which prevents-depression of the gun but permits the gun to be elevated above the top of the ventilator in which position the densely shaded area I iii no longer intersects the beam of light from the source 26 and the brakes are released. These brakes are illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 5, that for lo'cking the gun for movement in'azimuth, a solenoid H4 secured to the under side of the top wall ii of the base $5. The

armature of the solenoid is held in a down position by a spring I I8 50 that a braking pad I29 is held out of engagement with the under surface of the carriage I6. Upon energization of the solenoid the armature is pulled upwardly against the force of the spring I I8 forcing the pad I29 into engagement with the carriage Id and locking the gun against movement in azimuth. For locking the gun against downward movement a brake shoe 522 is mounted for movement with the gun and has a curved surface concentric with the gun arranged to be engaged by a roll I 24 supported by a housing I26 carried by one ofthe arms I2. A spring I28 urges the roll I24 into locking engagement with the brake shoe I22 but the roll is normally held in inoperative position against the force of the spring I28 by the armature I30 of a solenoid I32. A spring I35 acts on the armature to force the roll I245 into an inoperative position out of engagement with the brake shoe I22 and the coil of the solenoid is connected in series with the coil of the solenoid I It so that these solenoids are energized simultaneously only upon the intensity of the light reachingthe photoelectirc cell dropping to a suinciently low value. When this happens and the solenoid I32 is energized sumciently to attract the armature I36 and move it against the force of the spring I35, the spring I28 moves the roll Ifid into contact with the brake shoe I22 preventing movement of the gun downwardly, the arrangement of the housing I26 relative to the brake shoe I22 being such as to permit the gun to be elevated at all times so that the ventilator V or other obstruction may be cleared. It will be understood that the solenoids IN and I32 require a greater amount 01 current to attract their armatures than is required by the solenoid I02 so that only the solenoid I II! is actuated when the lightly shaded portion I09 intersects the beam of light to the photoelectric cell. However, when the current becomes high enough due to the densely shaded portion I I2 intersecting the beam of light the other solenoids are actuated and the gun is locked aganst movement into engagement with the obstruction represented by'the densely shaded portion,

The gun illustrated herein is manually directed but it should be understood that the invention is applicable to a power operated mount in which the directing of the gun is eflected through electric motors, fluid pressure mechanism or the like. In such cases the solenoids Ill and I32 might be utilized to control the power operated mechanism so that the gun could not be moved into engagement with an obstruction. In such event, the brakes described herein could be used in addition if desired or could be eliminated if they proved to be unnecessary.

From the above it will be seen that by the use 01' a relatively simple mechanism the firing of the gun is readily controlled so that in predetermined positions thereof the firing mechanism is rendered inoperative. By the use or a trans-.

parent screen utilizing shadingthe apparatus can be easily adapted to take care or changes in positions of objects which might lie in the line of 6 operative in response to movement of the gun into a predetermined position for varying the intensity of light from the source to the photoelectrio cell and operative in response to movement of the gun into another predetermined position for increasingly varying the intensity of light from the source to the photoelectric cell, means controlled by said cell in response to the variation of light thereto for preventing firing of the gun, and means controlled by said cell in response to an increased variation of intensity of light thereto for locking the gun against movement in certain directions.

2. In combination, a gun, a photoelectric cell. a light source therefor, a transparent screen having darkened areas ofdifierent intensities, said screen being positioned between said light source and aid photoelectric cell, means for relatively moving said screen, said light source and said cell so that the light from the source to the cell is diminished by a darkened area of the screen!!! response to movement of the gun into certain predetermined positions and so that the light from the source to the cell is further diminished by another darkened area of the screen in response to movement of the gun into certain other predetermined positions, and means controlled by the photoelectric cell for preventing firing or the gun in response to movement of the gun into the first of said predetermined positions and for locking the gun against movement'in certain directions when the gun is moved into said other of said predetermined positions.

3. In combination, a gun, means mounting said gun for movement in elevation and azimuth, a rotatable transparent cylinder, means connecting said cylinder to said gun for turning moveiire. It will be understood that the apparatus 7 may be readily applied to any type of gun mount whether manually operated or power operated.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent orthe United States is:

1. In combination, a gun, means mounting said gun tor movement in azimuth and elevation, a photoelectric cell, alight source thercior. means ment of said cylinder in response to movement of the gun in azimuth, a light source and a photoelectric cell mountedat opposite sides of a wall of the cylinder, means for moving said light source and said photoelectric cell in unison lengthwise oi the cylinder in response to movement of the gun in elevation, said cylinder having a darkened area for diminishing the intensity or light to the photoelectric cell in response to movement or the gun into a predetermined position and a still darker area for further diminishing the intensity oi. light to the photoelectric cell in response to movement 01 the gun'into an-' other predetermined position, means operated by the diminution of light to the cell for preventing firing of the gun, and means operated by the further diminution of light to the photoelectric cell for locking the gun against movement in certain directions.

. JOSEPH HARRINGTON, J1.

REFERENCES CITED The iollowingrei'erencesareoirccordinthe 

